Seed requirements for intensive culture of penaeid prawns in coastal waters, particularly in Kerala

The extent of estuaries and brackish waters in Kerala is estimated at about 0.243 million ha. Of this, 1,21,600 ha could be utilised for penaeid prawn culture. At present, prawn culture is being practised only in 5117 ha following the traditional practice of filtration. The prawns are harvested at regular intervals during the lunar phases, without allowing them to attain suitable sizes. P. indicus and P. monodon are the most suitable species for intensive culture, the former being the most abundant. The seed requirement of p , indicus, for stocking in the existing fields and the additional 5000 ha to be progressively brought under culture at a rate of 500 ha per year by the tenth year, will be 1317.5 million and on full development of 1,21,600 ha, it is estimated at 18,240 million. The potential estuarine and brackiswater resources of India is estimated at 1.7 mill ion ha , of which 30,000 ha are currently used for traditional prawn culture practice mainly in Karnataka. Kerala and West Bengal. The seed requirement is estimated at about 5238 million for the existing fields as well as 500 ha to be converted into prawn fields immediately by each of the maritime states. If additional area of 500 ha is brought under culture by each of the states every year, the seed requirement, by the tenth-year will be 11,364 million, The urgent need for perfection of techniques of large scale seed production under controlled conditions to meet this enormous quantity of seed and of training research, technical and managerial personnel as well as operatives and fish farmers is stressed